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www.gurkhabde.com/publicationThe magazine for Gurkha Soldiers and their Families

Gurkha 200 Special Edition

Historic front cover of the Soldier magazine showcasing the Gurkhas in Hong Kong during 1982

Gurkhas during WWII in Italy

HQ Bde of Gurkhas, FASC, Sandhurst,

Camberley, Surrey, GU15 4PQ.

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PARBATE

FEATURES02 Foreword by Col

Brigade of Gurkhas

Col James Robinson (Col BG)

04 1 RGR

Lt Col Jody Davies MBE RGR

06 2 RGR

Lt Col Marcus Reedman RGR

08 QG Signals

Lt Col Niall Stokoe OBE

QG Signals

10 QGE

Lt Col Richard Walker QGE

12 QOGLR

Lt Col Paul Beaumont QOGLR

14 GSPS

Maj Bijayant Sherchan GSPS

16 Brigade Band

Maj Paul Norley CAMUS

18 The Gurkha Welfare Trust

Bi-Centenary appeal from Gurkha

Welfare Trust

22 The Gurkha Museum

The Gurkha Museum looks back

at 200 years of Gurkha history

Gurkhas of the 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles on NW Frontier during 1936

Parbate Gurkha 200: Special Edition 1

A word from Col BGCol James Robinson (Col BG)

2015 is now upon us

and this is the

year that we

celebrate 200 years of Gurkha service

to the Crown. We, who are currently

serving, have the responsibility to ensure

that this celebration is conducted in full

Gurkha style and properly recognises

the incredible service of those who have

gone before. To do this we have created

a comprehensive and exciting programme

of events which will include all four

Gurkha pillars; the serving Brigade, the

Gurkha Welfare Trust, the Gurkha Brigade

Association and our Gurkha Museum.

It is very fitting that we start in Nepal. The

first event was the Attestation Parade for our

new Intake of 230 recruits which was taken

by Maj Gen Ty Urch CBE, COS LF and Col of

the Regt QGE. This will be followed by our

Gurkha Bhela in Kathmandu being organised

by BGN and the RANs which will be a large

gathering on the Tundikhel concluding with

a musical programme led by the Band of the

Brigade of Gurkhas with representation from

7 GR - Falklands Operations in 1982

2 Parbate Gurkha 200: Special Edition

Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas

Nepalese Bands. Regimental associations

will have their own regimental gatherings

throughout the year including the 2GRRA and

7GRRA Durbars in March.

Our Gurkha 200 programme seeks both

to enhance the reputation of the Brigade of

Gurkhas and to raise money for the Gurkha

Welfare Trust to support their appeal “Our

Duty of Care” which aims to raise funds to

provide enhanced medical assistance for our

ageing welfare pensioners in Nepal.

The major event will be the Gurkha

Pageant which will take place on 9 June at

the Royal Hospital Chelsea, we hope in front

of members of the Royal Family. It will serve

as a major fund raising event and we will

show off all that is good about our Brigade.

It will be supported by much of the serving

brigade and will be a fantastic night!

On 30 April in London contingents from

all of our cap badges and the Gurkha Band

will march to the Gurkha Statue where a

short service will take place to recognise

formally the unique contribution that Gurkhas

have made. In May each of the four major

Gurkha units will take turns to conduct Public

Duties at Buckingham Place and the Tower

of London. Further afield in October, our

Gurkhas serving in Brunei will march through

the capital, again led by the Gurkha Band.

I hope to see you at the UK Bhela to be

held in Aldershot on Saturday 11 July this

year. With free entry and parking the day

promises to have something for everyone

with the chance to see our veterans compete

in the Kathmandu Cup as well as the serving

inter-brigade Nepal Cup Final. There will

be displays by the Band of the Brigade of

Gurkhas together with the massed Pipes and

Drums of the Brigade, food and entertainment

stalls, activities to keep children amused,

employment stands, a parachute display and

more yet to be announced so please, put the

date in your diary.

We have two significant expeditions

being conducted this year. Our goal is to see

a serving Gurkha on the summit of Everest

and the Brigade of Gurkhas Everest Team plan

their ascent in May. The final team has been

selected and they have completed rigorous

preparations. Two members of 2RGR are also

planning to circumnavigate Ellesmere Island;

this is a path less travelled and has only been

achieved once before. We will follow both

expeditions with great interest and we wish

them every success.

I do hope that all readers of Parbate will

be able to join us at some of these events.

You can follow the Gurkha 200 programme

on www.gurkhabde.com which, of course,

has updated copies of Parbate. I hope you

enjoy this Special Edition of Parbate. I look

forward to an exciting year when all of us,

serving and retired, can be especially proud

to be a Gurkha.

Jai Brigade of Gurkhas!

Hong Kong 1990 showing various units on drill conversion course to use the new SA 80 Rifle

Gurkha signaller during the 1920s


1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles

Lt Col Jody Davies MBE RGR

The celebration of 200 years of

Gurkha Service to the British

Crown (Gurkha 200 or G200) is

a significant milestone and one that

we can all justifiably be proud of. Our

officers and soldiers continue to deliver

all that is asked of them on operations,

during individual and collective training,

sporting events and more; indeed every

facet of military life.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles has existed for

just over 10% of the proud 200 years of

service but has more than lived up to the

Gurkha hallmarks: excellence as light infantry

troops, discipline, fitness, marksmanship,

teamwork and renown as soldiers who will

relentlessly pursue their military objectives.

As a Battalion, 1 RGR and the Gurkha

Reinforcement Companies that have been

provided, has been at the forefront of this

delivery. On Operational deployments to

all parts of the Balkans, to West Africa and

most notably Afghanistan, the same stoic

professionalism and relentless pursuit of

excellence has been displayed. Reputations

have been enhanced and due praise and

honour received.

The last decade, in particular, has been

characterised by high Operational tempo

- and has resulted in a hugely experienced

and capable force across the Army. We are

battle-hardened, self-confident and alive to the

realities of conflict. We intuitively understand

security sector reform, offensive action, air-land

integration; we have world-leading dismounted

close combat equipment and have operated

with relative independence and huge capability

at company level.

Drawing on all of this 1 RGR is now

prepared for high intensity ops, whilst being

committed as part of the Adaptable Force

to deliver: regional defence engagement

tasks, persistent defence engagement with

the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, delivery of

exercise training support for the MOD, and

being “ready” to contribute to regional

military ops. 1 RGR is acclimatised, culturally

and linguistically aware and ideally suited for

Humanitarian Aid Delivery, Non Combatant

Evacuation Activity and Peace Support

Operations (all recently and robustly tested

on Ex TYPHOON KUKRI). We are “Agile,

Capable and Deployable”, ready for the next

operational challenge, and are doing all this

whilst enjoying all that soldiering in the Far

East can offer.

British Forces Brunei is unique and 1 RGR

are very fortunate to be able to serve as a

“band of brothers” with Queen’s Gurkha

Signals, Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, Queen’s

Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment and members

of the Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support

Company, as a matter of routine in Brunei.


We look forward to the full raft of

celebratory G200 activities and will play our

part in the events of National significance

in the UK as well as in Australia and New

Zealand where we will have opportunity to

jointly celebrate the 100th anniversary of

the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli with our

Regimental affiliates. There will be a week

of focussed activity for G200 in Brunei in

Oct, where the BG Band will help us and

our families celebrate (and complete the full

complement of BG cap badges) with our

Bruneian counterparts and friends in the

Gurkha Reserve Unit.

Jai BG, Jai RGR and 1 RGR1st Battalion the 2nd Gurkha Rifles on jungle patrol, in Sarawak during 1965

2GR on parade in Hong Kong, early 1970s

1 RGR Comd British Forces HK formally bids farewell to the soldiers


2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles

Lt Col Marcus Reedman RGR

10GR in Cyprus in 1974

2RGR holds a position of great

respect and value within the

modern Army which we hope

to build upon as we look ahead at

the opportunities of the future. In our

antecedent regiments, 7GR and 10GR, we

have been blessed with a heritage that

makes us justifiably proud, a heritage that

encapsulates the major conflicts of the

20th Century including both world wars,

Malaya, Borneo and the Falkland Islands.

In these conflicts our soldiers espoused

the ideal of the tough, robust and brave

infantry soldier, for which the Gurkha

has become synonymous. Many of the

commemorations and celebrations that we

will enjoy this year will raise money for the

soldiers and families of those who have gone

before; it is a fitting reminder to us all that

their needs still remain, and that we owe it to

them to continue that superb support through

the GWT. The Brigade is rightly held in high

regard and with affection by the British public

and this year represents an opportunity for us

to prove their support worthy.

Equally this year we mark the achievements

of the RGR, and since its formation in 1994 this

battalion has deployed soldiers on operations in

East Timor, the former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone,

Afghanistan, Iraq and Mali. Our reputation

as tough infantry soldiers has been enhanced

and I am sure your forefathers would now be

justifiably proud of you all.


Security Officials from 2 RGR with their Commanding Officer during the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in July 14

Soldier from 7 GR and US Army during WWII in ItalyA 7GR Soldier in swampy conditions - Brunei, 1986

The Gurkha soldier has also become

known in equal measure for his adaptability,

compassion, cultural awareness and

intelligence, and it is you as the current serving

members of the battalion that continue to craft

and shape a respected heritage and enviable

reputation. I have every confidence that we will

continue to do so on operations next year.

So as we look forward, we may do so in

the knowledge that the battalion has never

been in better shape. We continue to thrive

in sport and shooting. Our field craft is of the

highest standard as you have demonstrated in

numerous patrol competitions and exercises in

the last year.

As we operate as part of the Adaptable

Force we will start to focus on Defence

Engagement activity in South-East Asia,

drawing upon all the skills that define you as

some of the finest infantrymen in the world.

You now move forward in the knowledge

of an outstanding 200 year legacy, and

I hope with the knowledge that your

contribution to this history is as worthy as

that of your predecessors.

Jai Brigade of Gurkhas! Jai RGR! Jai 2RGR!


Queen’s Gurkha SignalsLt Col Niall Stokoe OBE QG Signals

‘By your badge men shall know

you’ these immortal words

from Maj Gen Perowne during

the 1954 capbadging parade for Queen’s

Gurkha Signals are our ‘kaida’ and

his speech is one from which we take

inspiration each year.

From its formation in Malaya, Queen’s

Gurkha Signals has played a vital role in


the Brigade of Gurkhas and the wider

British Army. The Regiment has excelled

on operations around the globe and has

morphed from providing analogue radio nets

to fully digitised networks at the very forefront

of modern communications technology. Its

soldiers have benefitted hugely, progressing

within some of the most technical trades in

the Army, resulting with many holding BScs

and some MScs too. They’ve even found

time to play football, shoot and complete a

Trailwalker or two as well.

QGS Laying telephone cable - Malaya 1949/50

QGS soldiers operating wireless, probably early 1970s

On the cusp of G200, looking forward

to formation of Seremban Tp at RMAS and

celebrating the appointment of one of our

own to Lt Col (LE), we are three Sqns strong,

with a large training element in Blandford

and Catterick, SF elements in Hereford and

troops in Nepal and Brunei. We therefore

look back to our Malaya and Hong Kong

forebears with pride and hope that, as we

take the Regiment into 2015, that we can

continue to build upon the traditions of

excellence they laid down for us.

Jai QG SIGNALS

The Gurkha Chautara at the National Memorial Arboretum; officially opened by the Princess Royal on 23 Sep 14


Queen’s Gurkha Engineers

Lt Col Richard Walker QGE

When I first had opportunity to

serve with The Queen’s Gurkha

Engineers during my Gap

Year in 1990 based in Perowne Barracks,

Hong Kong, I never in my wildest dreams

thought I would have the honour to be

the 30th Commandant of The Queen’s

Gurkha Engineers with the privilege of

inputting into the Gurkha 200 Special

Edition of Parbate. I feel humbled to have

this golden opportunity on the eve of our

Bicentenary celebration.

Ever since draw-down from Hong Kong,

The QGE has increasingly integrated into

the Royal Engineers and its parent unit 36

Engineer Regiment. Since 1994 after moving

in to Invicta Park Barracks in Maidstone,

The QGE has deployed to almost every

operational theatre along- side their British

counter parts. Op RESOLUTE (Bosnia &

Herzegovina), Op AGRICOLA (Kosovo), Op

PALATINE (Sierra Leone), Op FINGLE, Op

TELIC 1,4 & 6, Op HERRICK 7,9,12,16-18

(Afghanistan) to name but a few.

From my own experience, and having

deployed on some of these operations with

the Gurkha Sappers, I have only admiration

for their adaptability, agility, fearlessness

and perseverance to achieve the best results,

often against impossible odds.

Gurkha Sappers

have continually

QGE helping widen a road in Northern Aden in 1963

A Troop of 36 Engr Regt works on Medium Girder Bridge


demonstrated their professionalism built

upon a tradition of industriousness and

lateral thinking.

Over the coming year, The QGE will play

a full part in the commemoration of the 200

years of outstanding service and loyalty the

Crown. Not only will The QGE be a significant

contributor to all the Brigade of Gurkhas

activities, but we are leading a number of

ambitious projects of their own.

QGE 69 Gurkha Fd Sqn replace a bridge at Gracanicia in Bosnia 1996

We are also a significant contributor to the

Everest assault - all our activity is focussed

firmly on gaining recognition of the unstinting

support Gurkhas and Gurkha Sappers have

given to the United Kingdom throughout our

history.

I am a deeply proud and honoured

Commandant

Jai QGE, Jai Gurkha


Queen’s OwnGurkha Logistics

RegimentLt Col Paul Beaumont QOGLR

QOGLR at Camp Bastion prepare to deploy on a six day CLP, provisioning the force by road

Gurkha Transport Regiment driver training during 1960


Since forming as 28 and 30

Companies Gurkha Army Service

Corps in 1958, The Queen’s Own

Gurkha Logistic Regiment has come a

long way from its early days in Batu

Pahat, Malaya. On operations in the

Far East, the Gulf, the Balkans, Cyprus,

Afghanistan and most recently Sierra

Leone, QOGLR soldiers have provided the

chefs, drivers, logistic supply specialists

and communications specialists so vital

to sustain all elements of the Brigade

of Gurkhas and wider Defence; they

are a force multiplier. Troops have also

deployed as force protection teams

and dismounted close combat infantry

soldiers in Afghanistan, reinforcing their

‘soldier first, logistician always’ pedigree.

Regimental success on operations,

overseas deployments, and in supporting

UK contingency commitments endures

and achievements on the sports field, at

Bisley, and at military skills events remain

impressive. ‘Excellence as standard’ is the

order of the day, yet these achievements

belie the hard work and commitment of

our soldiers and officers in ensuring the

Regiment’s reputation continues to flourish.

10 QOGLR recently in OP GRITROCK in Sierra Leone

All success is underwritten by

professionalism, self-discipline, humility and an

irrepressible sense of humour: all characteristics

recognisable as true Gurkha traits.

We begin 2015 as we did 1958:

supporting operations. ‘Gurkha 200’ provides

the perfect opportunity to celebrate our

place in the Brigade of Gurkhas and also to

reflect with great pride on the hard work and

Newly joined soldiers pledge allegiance to GTR 24 February 1991

commitment of those who have served before

us in the Gurkha Army Service Corps, The

Gurkha Transport Regiment, The Queen’s Own

Gurkha Transport Regiment and The Queen’s

Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment. Their success

and achievement give us a strong reputation

and enormous confidence as we face the

future - whatever it may hold.

Jai QOGLR!


Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support

Maj Bijayant Sherchan GSPS

The formation of Gurkha Staff and

Personnel Support in 2011 exposed

our Gurkha Combat HR Specialists

to the wider Army and 2014 saw the

fruit of the sow with unprecedented

commendations, promotions,

commissioning and transfers on VEng

Full contract with continuance of

colour service.

The past 12 months have been a

productive year for the Gurkha Staff and

Personnel Support (GSPS) Company as it

continues to consolidate its structures within

the Army 2020 Order of Battle. To start with it

was a year of poignancy as 2014 marked the

centenary of the outbreak of the First World

War. There have been a series of memorial

events to commemorate the sacrifices made by

the soldiers in the Great War and the members

of the Company have been part of such events

wherever they are serving.

The GSPS Company presently numbers

100 Gurkha officers and soldiers, of which

15 are in the wider Army in diverse roles

ranging from Regimental Administrative

Officers and Finance and Systems

Administrators to Phase One Training

Instructors for young British recruits.

Their professional excellence continues to

attract praise from commanders at every level

and they continue to maintain that benchmark;


providing valuable Staff and Personnel support

not only to units of the Brigade of Gurkhas

but also more widely within the Army. These

are but the first steps down the road towards

Gurkha Combat HR Specialists achieving a full

and satisfying military career whilst retaining

their values as a Gurkha Soldier. In 2015

Gurkhas will have served in the British Army for

200 years.

GSPS looks forward into being a part of

this significant achievement, characterised

by excellence and sacrifice, and one that is

worthy of celebration.

Jai GSPS!

2 RGR RAO Det with OC GSPS after winning the GSPS Triple Crown Challenge (Col Comdt Brigade of Gurkhas Trophy) in TCC 14

GSPS Formation Parade - 30 June 2011 at Sir John Moore Barracks


The Band ofThe Brigade of Gurkhas

Maj Paul Norley CAMUS

The Band of The Brigade of

Gurkhas holds a unique and

distinguished position in the

world of Military music. We are ever

mindful of our custodial role as the

lead for Gurkha Ceremonial corporate

public image and always prepared to be

judged on our last performance.

Recently uplifted to facilitate a manning

of 46 personnel, the Band continues to

enhance a reputation as one of the British

Army’s premier ceremonial assets. Equally,

we are recognised as one of the most

entertaining Bands in our field of expertise.

2015 will give us the opportunity to

categorically prove these credentials with a

series of performances ranging from Public

Duties to major international sporting events.

Likewise, we will build on our

international reputation, with engagements

across the globe. These will include visits to

Nepal, India, Brunei, Germany and Jersey.

Despite this busy overseas and high

profile programme, we will of course continue

to support our charity, the Gurkha Welfare

Trust, in a series of fund raising concerts and

marching engagements across the UK.

The Band is also in constant demand for

parades, concerts and social events throughout

the MOD. Many other Cap Badges enjoy the

support of The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas

and we are always pleased to complement and

enhance their ethos and traditions.

Most importantly perhaps is our

commitment to our home team - the serving

personnel and families of The Brigade of

Gurkhas; 2015 will see us at our busiest yet

as we endeavour to give the Brigade our

maximum attention whilst delivering support

that is worthy of our proud heritage

and esteem.


The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas combined concert with 11 GR Band at the Officers’ Auditorium

in Lucknow, India in Dec 13

The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and Pipes and Drums from 7 GR play together in front of Buckingham Palace


Incredibly, the Trust’s initial Appeal in

1969 raised over £1 million within six months,

a remarkable demonstration of the affection

and very high regard in which the Gurkha

soldier was held by the British public. This

princely sum enabled the immediate relief of

hardship and established the Trust as the lead

Gurkha charity.

In the succeeding 46 years, the work

of the Trust has evolved to meet changing

needs. Throughout, our focus has remained

Nepal. With an annual income in excess of

£12 million, the Trust now provides a monthly

Welfare Pension to over 6,600 ex-Gurkhas and

their widows to give them the financial security

we all need in old age; additional funds are

expended in the provision of emergency grants;

we provide an annual Winter Fuel Allowance

and deliver an unparalleled Medical Programme

offering both primary and secondary medical

care to all ex-Gurkhas in Nepal and their

dependants. In addition, the Trust maintains

two Residential Homes providing shelter for

those in the most extreme forms of distress.

We also recognise the needs of Gurkha

communities in the middle hills of Nepal by

providing drinking water and sanitation and

the construction and maintenance/repair of

over 130 schools.

We also provide support to those ex-

Gurkhas and their dependants who seek

settlement in the UK. Working with the

Service charities, in particular ABF The

Soldiers’ Charity, and local and national

Government we ensure that those who

need help are provided with appropriate and

timely support.

Our work to date has ensured that we are

able to respond to the changing circumstances

of our ex-Gurkhas. With the help of the serving

Brigade which surrenders one day’s pay each

A Personal Letter from The Director Gurkha Welfare Trust

William Shuttlewood

year in support of our work, the generosity

of our many supporters both in the United

Kingdom and elsewhere who respond so

generously to our appeals, and the support of

Government which provides funds in support

of water and sanitation and which abates the

costs of delivering welfare, we are truly the

lead Gurkha charity, supporting all ex-Gurkhas

in need wherever they might live.

In 2015, The Gurkha Welfare Trust is once

again calling on the British people and the

Brigade for support. Our Welfare Pensioners,

once young and brave soldiers, are now in their

80s and 90s. Their fighting days long over,

they suffer all the chronic conditions linked

to old age - dementia, cardiovascular disease,

hypertension, diabetes, cancer, arthritis. Over

a third suffers from a significant or life-

threatening condition. Many are house-bound,

blind or deaf and need support if they are to

enjoy independent living.

The Gurkha 200 Bicentenary Appeal Our

Duty of Care is being launched to raise £6

million to fund an expansion of our Medical

Programme in Nepal. With so many frail and

ill pensioners to care for, we can no longer

expect them to come to us for support.

We urgently need a more mobile medical

service that is able to reach out and provide

treatment and care in remote homes and

villages. Overleaf you will read of the many

ways the Trust will be expanding and its

medical care over the next two to three years

to ensure that all our ex-Gurkhas are able to

receive the support they need.

I wish everyone associated with Gurkha

200 a memorable year and hope you will join

with me in responding to our Appeal - and

in doing so ensure our ex-Gurkhas and their

widows are abler to live out their lives

with dignity

The Gurkha Welfare Trust was

established in 1969 as a response

to the increasing number of Gurkha

veterans who were living in Nepal in

circumstances of abject poverty and

distress. These were, in the main, soldiers

who had been discharged at the end

of the Second World War without any

form of pension. Their ranks were being

increased by the significant numbers

of Gurkhas selected for redundancy in

the late ‘60s as a consequence of the

drawdown of the Brigade after the Borneo

Confrontation. It was essential that

something was done to provide relief and

to repay the debt of honour the nation

owed to “the bravest of the brave”.


Bicentenary Appeal“Our Duty of Care”

Gurkhas are famed for their great courage and resilience. But all must grow old. Our once strong fierce Gurkhas are now old men and women in their 80s and 90s. Their fighting days long over, they now spend their days in their peaceful but isolated villages in Nepal. They suffer all the chronic conditions linked to old age - dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis. Over one-third has a significant or life-threatening medical condition and needs regular medical check-ups and treatment and help with independent living. Having survived the horrors of Borneo, Malaya and the many battles of the Second World War, their bodies and minds are tired.

No longer can they negotiate the steep perilous pathways in their village homes or trek to the Trust’s Welfare Centres to receive medical care or collect their pensions. The Trust already has a first-class Medical Programme in Nepal, spending over £2 million annually. However, it is static and relies on our pensioners getting to our local Welfare Centres to receive treatment. With so many frail and ill pensioners to care for, we now need a more mobile medical service, able to reach out and provide treatment and care in their isolated hillside homes. We are unable to fund this with our current resources. We are, therefore, launching the Gurkha 200 Bicentenary Appeal Our Duty of Care in 2015, the bicentenary of Gurkha service, to raise £6 million to expand our Medical Programme in Nepal.


Pathology LaboratoriesWe will build and equip Pathology

Laboratories at our four key Area

Welfare Centres of Bagmati, Kaski,

Dharan and Chitwan to provide in-house

testing and diagnostic facilities.

These four new Laboratories will

significantly speed up our ability to diagnose

medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney

disease, hypertension and anaemia.

It can currently take up to four weeks in

Nepal for a condition to be diagnosed. Our

Pathology Laboratories will cut this to around

2 days, ensuring that our Gurkha veterans can

start vital life-saving treatment earlier.

Mobile DoctorsWe need to increase our number of

Mobile Doctors in Nepal from 3 to 12.

Our Mobile Doctors play a vital role,

trekking from village to village checking on the

health and wellbeing of our elderly Gurkha

veterans and their dependants. They are

constantly in the field and often walk for up

to 12 hours a day to reach even the remotest

Gurkha home.

With an ageing cadre of veterans, we need

to increase the frequency of medical visits to

every three months. A further nine Mobile

Doctors are therefore required to provide these

visits, to provide regular check-ups and oversee

their medical treatment.

Home Carers AllowanceGurkhas place great importance on caring

for their elderly relatives. Families readily

provide the love and home care so many

of our pensioners need. However, this can

bring additional costs and, in many cases,

providing this care places a huge financial

strain on the families already struggling

financially in Nepal.

To help these families with the added costs

of caring for an elderly relative, the Trust will

provide a Home Carers Allowance of 2,000

Nepalese Rupees (around £12) per month.

We hope to provide this financial support to

around 750 families.

Those who receive the Home Carers

Allowance will also receive training from our

District Nurses in providing care in the home.

Palliative CareWith over 3,200 pensioners now aged over

80 years, there is a need for the Trust to

increase its palliative and end of life care

and support, especially for those veterans

living in remote hillside homes.

As our old soldiers approach their final

days, our team of doctors and nurses will visit

them more frequently to ensure they are as

comfortable as possible and that their families

have all the necessary support. Finally, we may

even need to stay overnight to provide the

medical care needed in their final hours.

We are committed to ensuring a dignified

and pain-free end of life for those who served

our nation so bravely.

District Nurses12 District Nurses will be recruited to work

with the Mobile Doctors, providing simple

health checks such as blood pressure, blood

sugar levels and respiratory assessments

on our ex-servicemen and their families in

their homes.

The District Nurses will be able to

prescribe basic medicines and will be in

permanent contact with a Doctor for more

serious medical conditions. They will also

support the families caring for their frail

Gurkha relatives, providing health care advice

on such things as nutrition, hygiene, avoiding

bed sores and keeping active.


Mobile Minor Surgical UnitsWith our veterans increasingly frail and

house-bound, there is a growing need for

the Trust to provide routine operations in

their remote villages.

We need four Mobile Minor Surgical

Units that can be carried in the back of a

standard 4x4 Land Rover type vehicle and easily

deployed in tents or local buildings. Each unit is

sterile, has its own power supply and carries a

wide range of surgical and medical equipment.

They will be used by our medical team

in the field and at our eight Medical Camps.

They can also be rapidly deployed to provide

emergency medical assistance in the event of

a natural disaster

Medical EquipmentTo equip our Mobile Doctors, District

Nurses and Pathology Laboratories, we

need a wide range of additional medical

and health equipment for our staff to

use to diagnose and treat our pensioners

more quickly - blood analysers, electrolyte

analysers, sterilisers, syringes, incubator

machine, microscopes, portable ultrasound

are just some of the items we need to

purchase now.

For 200 years the Gurkhas have served with distinction in the

British Army to protect the rights and freedoms we enjoy

today. These courageous fighting men of Nepal have fought

in every major conflict since 1815, earning 26 Victoria Crosses

and thousands of commendations for bravery along the way. The

Gurkha Welfare Trust was set up in 1969 to care for those in need

in Nepal. Today, in 2015, we are being called upon to do more.

We already spend over £12 million each year in Nepal. We estimate

that a further £6 million is needed to fund the expansion of our Medical

Programme and ensure that our gallant old soldiers and their widows

continue to live with dignity.

Please support Our Duty of Care Appeal today!

Tel: 01722 323 955

Fax: 0 1722 343 119

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.gwt.org.uk

The Gurkha Welfare Trust

PO Box 2170

22 Queen Street

Salisbury, SP2 2EX

Images provided by kind permission of Johnny Fenn Photography. © The Gurkha Welfare Trust 2015.

The Gurkha Welfare Trust is a registered

charity in England and Wales No. 1103669.

Company limited by guarantee No. 5098581


THE GURKHA MUSEUMGavin Edgerley-Harris,

Curator The Gurkha Museum

The fascinating story of Britain’s

Gurkhas is presented at The

Gurkha Museum where Gurkhas’

participation in the epic periods of world

military history over the last 200 years

is portrayed in graphic detail using

artefacts, text, dioramas, tableaux and

exciting touch screen technology.

A Gurkha Museum first opened in 1974

in Queen Elizabeth Barracks at Church

Crookham in Hampshire from items collected

from the serving units and other donors.

This grew and developed until the Museum

moved to a fully refurbished building at

the old Rifle Depot at Peninsula Barracks in

Winchester during 1990.

Since then the Museum has expanded its

collection and archive. This archive contains

an unrivalled collection of books, documents,

photographs and film, not just recording

Gurkha military history but also the country

and people of Nepal. Indeed the cultural

aspects of service in Britain’s Brigade of

Gurkhas form an important part of

the displays.

The Museum is the focal point for the

Brigade’s corporate memory and heritage

and strives to develop a strong sense of

connection with its past, present and future.

As the Brigade moves on from Operations in

Afghanistan, the Museum will continue to

record its history and role in the British Army,

here in the UK, in Brunei and wherever it is

deployed in the world.


Facts Figures

Gurkhas served in World War One 90,780 (directly employed by the Crown)

Gurkhas died in World War One 6,342 combatants and followers (CWGC figures)

Gurkhas casualties World War One “over 20,000” (killed, died, wounded and missing)

Gurkhas served in World War Two 137,883 (directly employed by the Crown)

Gurkha died in World War Two 9,056 combatants and followers (CWGC figures)

Gurkha casualties World War Two 23,655 (killed, died, wounded and missing)

Victoria Crosses awarded to Gurkha Regiments 26

VCs awarded to Gurkhas 13

VCs awarded to British Officers 13

VC holder surviving 1 (Hon Captain Rambahadur Limbu VC MVO)

George Cross (or equivalent EGM / Albert Medal) 7

Indian Order of Merit 1st Class

(when awarded IOM three times) prior to 1911

1 (Subedar Kishanbir Nagarkoti 5th Gurkha Rifles (FF),

NOTE Also awarded Gold Bar for 4th award)

IOMs awarded to Gurkha Regt’s in WW1 165

IOMs awarded to Gurkha Regt’s in WW2 99

Olympic Medals awarded to Gurkhas 1 (Naik Tejbir Bura 6th Gurkha Rifles)

Current Field Marshals with Gurkha Connections 4 (HRH, The Duke of Edinburgh; HRH, The Prince of Wales,

The Lord Bramall and Sir John Chapple)

8

7

2

Did You Know ?1. A Daphne Bholua plant is named “Gurkha”

2. There have been five Royal Navy vessels

named HMS Ghurkha or Gurkha. The first

was launched in 1889 and was a Torpedo

boat. No. 2 was a destroyer sunk in 1917.

The 3rd and 4th were sunk by enemy

action in 1940 and 1942 respectively. The

last, launched in 1960, was retired in 1984.

3. The Gurkhas, as part of the Indian Army,

were not eligible to be awarded the

Victoria Cross until 1911. Before then the

Indian Army’s premier award for gallantry

was the Indian Order of Merit, an award

instituted in 1837. The first Gurkha to be

awarded the Victoria Cross was Rifleman

Kublir Thapa of 2nd Battalion 3rd QAO

Gurkha Rifles, for conspicuous bravery on

the Western Front in 1915.

4. A Gurkha of the 6th Gurkha Rifles was

awarded an Olympic Medal at the 1924

Winter Olympics for Aplinism, for his

endeavours on the 1922 Expedition to

climb Mount Everest. This medal, to Lance

Naik (Lance Corporal) Tejbir Bura, can be

seen on display at the Gurkha Museum.

5. Hobson Jobson, an Anglo Indian dictionary

first published in 1886 has an entry for

Kookry as follows: Hind. Kukri (which

originally means a twisted skein of thread

from kukna, to wind, and then anything

curved). The particular weapon of the

Goorkhas, a bill admirably designed and

poised for hewing a branch or foe.

6. Many will have heard of the well-used term

“Blighty” from the First World War used by

soldiers referring to home or Britain. This

word originally comes from an Arabic word

and derived Hindi word bilayti meaning

foreign land or, more often, distant Europe.

British soldiers corrupted many foreign

words and names, Bilayti became Blighty.

7. The striped Kukri snake, which comes from

West Malaysia, is so called because the

fangs at the back of its mouth resemble

a Kukri in shape. The Kukri snake is non

venomous and can grow to be up to 68 cm

in length. It can bite if provoked!

8. The painter Terence Cuneo would always

include a mouse on his canvasses. A

painting by this artist of B Company,

1st Battalion 10th Gurkha Rifles’ action

against Indonesian parachutists at Labis

23 Sep 1964 is on display in the Gallery

of the Gurkha Museum.

43

1

Gurkhas Fact Sheet


Origin of Gurkha Felt Hats

Hat Kilmarnock

• Gurkha Statue Whitehall, London

• War Memorial Gates and Chattri, Hyde Park Corner

• Chindit Memorial, London

• Chautara National Memorial Arboretum Alrewas

• Chautara, Hilliers Gardens, Romsey

• Memorial Chapel, St Luke’s Church, Chelsea, London

• CWGC Memorial and Chattri, Patcham Down, Brighton,

• CWGC Memorial Holybrook Cemetery, Southampton

• 4th PWO Gurkha Rifles’ Memorial Chapel and Garden, Stoke Poges.

• 6th QEO and 10th PMO Gurkha Rifles’ Memorials,

Winchester Cathedral

• 2nd KEO Gurrkha Rifles Memorial Window, Indian Army Memorial

Room, RMA Sandhurst.

The Queen’s Truncheon

The regiment which

later became the 2nd

King Edward VII’s Own

Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor

Rifles) was raised in northern

India in 1815 as the Sirmoor

Battalion, a local corps until

1861 when it became a regular

regiment in the Bengal Army.

It fought gallantly in several

battles long before the Indian

Mutiny of 1857-58, but it was

during the Mutiny that it

particularly distinguished itself

when, for more than three

months, it held a key post on

the ridge which was the main

British position during the

Siege of Delhi.

During that Siege and the

assault to capture the City it

suffered 327 dead and wounded

out of 490 all ranks, and formed

a strong affiliation with the

60th Rifles, The King’s Royal

Rifle Corps, with which it was

constantly linked and intermingled

throughout the battle.

Its conspicuous service was

rewarded in 1858 by the Governor

General-in-Council granting the

rare distinction of carrying a third,

honorary, Colour, to be inscribed

“DELHI” in English, Hindi, and

Persian. The Commander-in-Chief

added to this by authorising a

change of title from Sirmoor

Battalion to Sirmoor Rifle

Regiment, the soldiers to be

called Riflemen instead of Sepoys

and the privilege of wearing the

scarlet facings on their uniforms

as worn by the 60th.

Because Rifle Regiments did

not carry Colours, the newly

titled Sirmoor Rifle Regiment had

to stop doing so, which meant

that the privilege of carrying a

third Colour was lost. To keep

the distinction Her Majesty

Queen Victoria authorised the

replacement of the third Colour

by a Truncheon. This Truncheon,

made by Messrs Hunt and Roskell

of London, was handed over to

the Regiment by the Commander-

in-Chief on a parade in Lahore in

1863 when it was received with a

Royal Salute by the troops of the

North-Western Army assembled

for the occasion.

The Truncheon, which is

about 6 feet high and made of

bronze and silver, is carried on

parade by the Truncheon Jemadar,

whose post was added to the

Establishment for the purpose,

escorted by two Sergeants and

two Corporals. Like a Sovereign’s

Colour it is greeted with a Royal

salute when it appears or is

marched off parade. Since 1953,

when it was presented to Her

Majesty Queen Elizabeth II shortly

after her Coronation, it has been

known as The Queen’s Truncheon.

The Queen’s Truncheon, in

the custody and guardianship

of the Trustees of The Royal

Gurkha Rifles Regimental Trust,

is now in service with The Royal

Gurkha Rifles into which the 2nd

Goorkhas was absorbed in 1994.

Memorials around the Country Commemorating Gurkhas

It was probably introduced for

Gurkhas (and other local infantry

not wearing a pugaree or turban) in

the Honourable East India Company’s

service in 1844 or 1845. The Kilmarnock

had quite a high (and floppy) top. Its

direct descendent the Scottish Bonnet,

Lowland, still has its floppy top which

can be worn pulled down to one side

like a beret. In Gurkha regiments it

seems to have been worn more or less

level, with the soft top upright above

the stiff hat band and a pom pom or

touree on the top.

At the time of the 2nd Boer War

in South Africa, the slouch hat,

worn by the Dominion Forces

of the British Empire, was becoming an

increasingly popular form of head dress

with British troops in the field.

It was during the Waziristan Blockade in

1901, that the 1st Battalion 2nd (Prince of

Wales’ Own) Gurkha Rifles tried out a new hat

advocated by one of its officers, Lieutenant

Becher. It consisted of a several layers of

cloth covered on both sides with puttoo or

home spun tweed. It was criss-cross machine

stitched, giving it a certain amount of stiffness

to help maintain its shape.

Sometimes known as the Kashmir hat,

it was fitted with a light puggaree,

ventilating holes and a chin strap. The whole

effect resembled a slouch hat, affording

protection both from the sun and the rain.

The Kilmarnock cap appears to have

fallen into abeyance after World War 1, but

in 2nd Goorkhas it was reintroduced for Drill

Order in 1927 and the soft type continued in

use as parade wear until 1947. Other Gurkha

Regiments adopted a style similar to the

pillbox cap for drill and ceremonial duties. In

1948, in Malaya, all Gurkha regiments were

obliged to conform to the lower-sided hard

pill-box cap with chin-strap which has been

worn by the Brigade of Gurkhas since then.


Historic front cover of the Armed Forces magazine showcasing the Gurkhas in Belize during 1989

Creative Media Design ADR004221

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